Thursday, October 22, 2020
Another strange blog post title coming at ya this week! Stay with me, though – you will like this!
Have you ever had really good restaurant corn bread? Want to hear a weird secret? Some places use this trick I found many years ago on Pinterest.
Take a Jiffy cornbread mix and mix according to package directions.
Take a Jiffy yellow cake mix and mix according to package directions. (I could not find the Jiffy cake mix because my Kroger and Covid and 2020 – so you can use Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Butter Golden – I read it has to be this mix because you do not want a mix with pudding in it.)
Combine batters and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and you can stick a toothpick in and have it come out clean.
Now, because I had a full size cake mix I only incorporated half of the cake mix which left me with the other half.
I bake the corn bread then put the other half of the cake in after it was done because I did not want to mess up baking times.
This is a sweeter corn bread but it is really good! Put butter or honey on top if you like.
And, above you see the cake – sorry I was not planning on posting about the cake but a reader requested the recipe. I think cake mixes are great. A tip – you can add an extra egg to make it more homemade tasting! I do this regularly! Also, I love a bundt pan and there are some really pretty cake pans out there now.
Here is the deal: Make your own frosting and the entire cake will taste homemade. This is one of my favorite icing recipes that I found in a church cook book. Those are really the best. Everyone gives their best recipes. I like to buy these at garage sales sometimes! Ha!
Easy Caramel Icing:
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 and 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar (I did not sift mine and nothing bad happened!)
Melt butter in saucepan.
Stir in brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Stir in milk.
Bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. (I decided to also add some bourbon and vanilla because why not?)
Cool to lukewarm.
Gradually add in the powdered sugar.
Beat until thick enough to spread. (I just used a wooden spoon)
Add a little hot water if icing is too hard.
It is so good! You could put this on top of a spice cake, a chocolate cake, on top of apple bars or apple pie.
Let me know if you plan to make cornbread or caramel cake!
Amy
Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa 
I’ll have to try this corn bread – my husband loves it and I usually make either Jiffy or Krusteeze. Caramel frosting sounds so good for fall!
xo,
Kellyann
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Krusteauz is great as is! Try the Jiffy combo and let me know what you think! I bet you can find the Jiffy cake in your store!
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My family would throw that cornbread at me if I tried to serve it to them. HA!!! Cornbread not from scratch??!! A pinch of sugar is all I ever put in mine. And making it from scratch is too easy. And don’t even think about making it in anything other than a cast iron skillet. Southerners 😉
My best friend growing up’s mother made the best white cake with caramel icing. The icing was always made from scratch but I don’t think the cake was. YUM!
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I have never made it from scratch! You have given me a new challenge! But, I will say that I kind of like the sweeter cornbread. My husband loves spoon bread. I use a mix but it is kind of a mix between grits and bread.
White with the caramel would be great, too, but I always gravitate toward yellow with the caramel.
I have a cast iron skillet but my stovetop is magnetic and I don’t think I can use it on it. So, I just never get it out even to bake with.
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1 teaspoon All-Vegetable Shortening
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/3 cups milk
1/4 cup Pure Vegetable Oil
2 cups Martha White® Self-Rising Enriched White Corn Meal Mix
2 cups Martha White® Self-Rising Enriched White Buttermilk Corn Meal Mix
Preparation Directions
HEAT oven to 450ºF. Spoon shortening into 8-inch ovenproof skillet or 8-inch square or round baking pan. Place in oven to heat for about 5 minutes.
WHISK egg in medium bowl. Stir in buttermilk, oil and corn meal mix until smooth. Batter should be creamy and pourable. If too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional buttermilk. Carefully tilt skillet to coat bottom with shortening. Pour batter into skillet.
BAKE 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
SO EASY!!! I always use bacon grease instead of shortening. Heat the 1/4 C in the skillet in the oven and then pour the hot grease into the batter right before you put it in oven. Also, I always use 4 C buttermilk self rising cornmeal mix. Not 1/2 buttermilk 1/2 regular. Add as much sugar as you want.
You can make this so many different ways, too! I add shredded cheese, a can of drained corn and diced jalapenos for a Mexican cornbread. And now I want cornbread!!!! 🙂
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Wow! Thanks!
I have thought about becoming the kind of person who saves bacon grease. What do you save it in?
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Mason jar in the fridge. My mom has a little stainless steel container that has a strainer in the top that she keeps in the fridge. I love to have it on hand to make gravy when we are only having biscuits and gravy. It’s only bacon grease gravy in my house, too!! I don’t use it often but there are just some things that have to have bacon grease.
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I can do that. I have a little mason jar. It’s great to roast potatoes in -I have done that before! Thanks for all the tips, Misty!
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I will have to try this cornbread from the 2 mixes, I like a sweet cornbread. Also, I was just thinking about saving bacon grease as well but I will have to get a special container….there are no mason jars to be found here in Massachusetts. I really do enjoy your posts with recipes!
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Let me know if you try it!
I saved my jar from my Prego spaghetti sauce. I think those and jam and jelly jars would work. I heard there was a mason jar shortage! I am conflicted because I want to save and repurpose and I also don’t want clutter.
Thank you – I have two recipes for next week!
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